Brave New World
by BronzeQuill
Summary: In the port city of Canalave, there lays a young girl named Henrietta Snyder who is less than willing to become a trainer – preferring to immerse herself in books rather than collect all 8 badges. She doesn't see herself battling other trainers and capturing Pokemon. Her parents fearing for the well-fare of their child, decides that Henrietta should become a trainer for her sake.


**Disclaimer: I am in no ways affiliated with Pokemon - this applies to the story as a whole.**

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><p>There's always something about waking up that Henrietta was irked by. Perhaps it was the way how the sunlight pierced her eyelids or the annoying chirp from the birds that always made her ears hurt.<p>

But above all, it was the obnoxiously loud ring that her alarm clock makes every morning 7:00 sharp.

Like any other teenager, Henrietta did not want to get up. She wanted to stay in her comfy bed surrounded by her precious books. Henrietta knew that if she woke up, she was going to have to suffer through the worst day of every year – which was to say, her birthday.

At some point in her life, Henrietta expressed apathy towards this so-called "holiday." It was just another normal day to her, no matter how many balloons or confetti her parents threw at her. For the past few years when her birthday came along, Henrietta would lock herself up at Canalave Library and would return home when it was time to close.

However, this particular one was special. It was one where Henrietta was looking forward to. She was turning 18, and that means she has the right to move out.

As much as Henrietta loved her parents, she valued her independence. Moving out would mean no more random instances where her mother would barge into her room or where she was forced by her dad to come down from her room to eat dinner.

She brought an apartment in Jubilife City earlier in the year and moved some of her stuff there already. The apartment was currently owned by her parents, but would be hers as soon as she turned eighteen.

After stretching her joints, Henrietta grudgingly got up and went towards the bathroom. She did her usually routine, taking a shower, brushing her teeth and ending by braiding her brown hair.

Henrietta went back into her room and picked out her usual attire: a white-buttoned down shirt with a black ribbon tie and matching shorts. She grabbed her glasses from the nighstand (it took her several tries of dropping them down) and put them on her rather, angular nose. People told her that she dressed like a professor; Henrietta took that as a compliment.

Satisfied with her appearance, Henrietta went downstairs to the dining room where no doubt, her parents would scream "happy birthday" and present her with a delicious cake. Henrietta may dislike her birthdays, but she always loved the cake.

But, much to her shock and belief, her parents did no such thing and Henrietta found them calmly eating breakfast. Her mom was pouring orange juice into a glass and putting pancakes on a dish – presumably for Henrietta herself. Her dad was sipping coffee as he read _The Canalave Newsletter. _

Her mother smiled as she saw her daughter come down. "Good morning dear! Breakfast is finished".

"…Good morning mom." Henrietta uncertainly said. This was wrong, all wrong. Where were the balloons, the confetti falling down around her? But most importantly, where was the cake? This sight, it made Henrietta feel uneasy.

The girl took a seat in the chair, drinking the orange juice while eyeing her parents suspiciously. "Are you guys okay? You are not acting like your normal selves."

"Don't be ridiculous Henrietta, we're fine. Why do you ask?" her dad questioned. His eyes gleamed mischievously under his glasses.

"Well, today's my birthday and you guys should be celebrating. But you're not."

"We know that it's your birthday dear, but your father and I are planning on celebrating it in a different matter," her mom said. "We know it's your 18th birthday, and we know that you're planning on moving out soon…"

Henrietta raised an eyebrow. "And what does that have to do with anything?"

Her dad sighed and put down the newspaper "What your mother and I are trying to say is that you are our daughter. We love you and care about your safety -."

"So we decided that it was best for you to have some protection," her mom finished. "Come, let's go outside. Your present is waiting for you there!"

She dragged Henrietta outside with a strength that Henrietta never knew that she had. Her father followed behind, with a smile on his face.

Henrietta couldn't help but have a bad feeling about this "present."

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><p>Canalave City was a charming place to be during the morning. The air was fresh and crisp, with the squaking of seagulls overhead. The city was divided by a large canal constantly busy with the entering and leaving of ships. A great forest surrounded it, teeming with wild Pokemon and eager trainers.<p>

"Close your eyes now Henrietta!" her mom said. "We don't want you seeing this. Quick John – get him."

Henrietta felt her mom's hands going over her eyes. She didn't have to do this, the girl could've simply close her eyes and turned around. This was entirely unnecessary.

"Alright, you ready for your present? C'mon, hold out your hand!"

Henrietta felt something small and round, with the weight of a small rock being put on her hand. The surface was smooth and seemed well polished.

Slowly, she opened her eyes and to her surprise and disappointment it was a Pokeball.

Her parents had grins as wide as their faces. "Well, open it and see what's inside!"

Getting one last glance at the Pokeball, Henrietta threw it up into the air and a red beam of energy erupted from the center. The red energy materialized itself one the ground. What came out of it was small, with a green, round head and red…spikes protruding out of it. Its body was white.

"…You got me a Ralts?" Henrietta's tone wasn't exactly disappointed, more like a slight irritation. She admitted it that it was cute, but it wasn't what she expected.

"Yes," her mother excitedly said. "Don't you like him? Just newly born too. We got him from the Solaceon Daycare Center. He's adorable don't you think?"

As if to prove her point, the Ralts suddenly took a step forward and fell onto the ground. Immediately, he got back up and started to walk – body teetering back and forth.

"Look honey," her dad said. "We know it wasn't exactly what you wanted, but if you take care of this Ralts, he will protect you when we aren't around. The world is a dangerous place Henrietta, and we worry about your safety."

"But my schedule is too busy for me to train him!" Henrietta exclaimed. "I have to study for college, get a job, and more! It's better if you return him back to the daycare center."

"Now, now. Don't get too ahead of yourself," her dad calmly answered back. "You are still young, and last time I checked you don't even know what to major in! After this, we're going to Sandgem Town to meet up with Professor Rowan. You're going to get your Trainer Card there whether you like it or not!"

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><p>The car ride was entirely silent as the Snyder family drove to Sandgem Town. Henrietta sat in the back, grimly holding the Pokeball that contained her supposed-to-be her partner Pokemon.<p>

To be honest, Henrietta had no idea what she was going to do. Her dad's earlier statement about how she hasn't picked a major yet was right. She was going to figure everything out in Jubilife and hopefully, her life would pick up from there. She had no real plan for her life, and perhaps on some level, she agreed with her parents.

Though, there were benefits to becoming a Trainer, there were also quite a few backlashes. For one thing, you needed to be physically fit and socially experienced. Henrietta had neither of those qualities. She placed last in every gruelling gym competition that her school had and stuttered when a person talked to her.

The fact that there were also wild Pokemon in the tall grass scared her the most. That's why Henrietta was given Ralts, so that he could protect her from the dangers.

To be fair, the thought of becoming a Trainer both frightened and excited her. She could finally become the heroes that she read in her books, going off on an adventure and saving lives and whatnot. But the path of the Trainer had many obstacles in the way, like other trainers and that new group that was arsing lately…

"We're here Henrietta!" her mom chirped. "You go in first, your father and I have something to discuss. We're going to be in soon."

Henrietta got of the car and the salty scent of the sea immediately hit her. Sandgem Town was incredibly small, even from here she could see the sandy beach. Along with the scent of the sea, Henrietta could smell the flowers. Both of the scents together produced a calming effect, making her feel less uneasy.

The girl entered the lab where she was meted with the hustle and bustle of scientists running about in their white lab coats. Henrietta was fascinated by this sight, the white tile floor was polished to perfection and medicines or other concoctions were stored neatly in their glass cases.

She saw some scientists measuring the wing-spans of Starlies or Staravias. Another was vigorously shaking a test-tube. One was feeding a group of Pokemon what looked like poffins.

Henrietta saw Professor Rowan in the back talking with another fellow scientist. She walked over there, careful not to bump into any people. She hovered awkwardly around them, waiting for the two to finish their conversation. She caught bits of it, something about evolution and new tests.

Once they were done, Henrietta introduced herself to the Professor. "Good morning Professor Rowan, I believe my parents arranged something with you."

The man turned towards the girl and Henrietta was intimidated by his height. Despite their large age difference, the professor towered over the girl. His hair was pure white with not a speck of color on them. He wore a lab coat and a blue vest with a red brown.

"Good morning young lady," Professor Rowan boomed. "I'm afraid my memory isn't as good as it used to be. What are your parents' names again?"

"Samantha and John Snyder."

"Oh, those two eh? Quite the optimistic ones I think - you are their daughter? What was your name again? Heather? Helen?"

"It's Henrietta, sir."

"Ah, yes. I remember now! Come; let's go to my office where it would be a bit quieter. Where are your parents?"

"They're outside doing something. They said that they would be in soon."

"I see, now I understand that you want to become a trainer?"

Henrietta looked down at her feet. "Not really. I'm not interested. My parents made me come here so I could be one."

The professor raised an eyebrow. "Well this is new. Usually a young person like yourself would be eager to get your license. Now tell, me, why you don't want to become a trainer."

"It's because, I don't think I'm cut out for the active life of one," Henrietta sighed. "My dad said it would be a great learning experience and would be fun. I agree with him on some level, but the life of a trainer intimidates me."

Professor Rowan leaned more close to her, close enough to leave a few inches of space between them. "Hmm… this is a dilemma. Henrietta, tell me something. What do you want?"

Henrietta flinched at the comment. "Excuse me?"

"I asked what you want to do. You are a young adult, eighteen am I correct? It shouldn't be my job or you parents to tell you what to do."

"Um, I guess I want a stable and happy life. I want to have a well-paying job and live in the big cities. I want to make an impact on this world, preferably a good one. Maybe I'll meet love on the way and possibly have some children."

Professor Rowan nodded in approval. "It seems like you're heading towards a bright future. But do you know how to go about it?"

"I'm afraid not."

The professor nodded again. "You can take my advice or not, but I recommend you become a trainer before you start going off doing all these things."

"What?" Henrietta exclaimed. "You heard me say why I don't want to become one!"

"I'm not deaf, or at least not yet. Look, becoming a trainer will introduce you to new experiences. You will make new friends; see things you never thought you would see. There are a variety of things that are out there… and perhaps you can use those things to help you in your life."

"Well, ah, um –"Henrietta admitted that the professor was right. Perhaps she needed to break out of her splendid isolation and interact with the world around her. Maybe this lifestyle could work out for her?

"Alright fine, I'll do it."

Professor Rowan smiled; the first time the girl ever saw him do so. "Wonderful, now all I need is your picture and your and your parents' signatures and you'll be all set. Go to main lobby, there should be a woman with green eyes. She will take your picture."

Henrietta nodded and left the room, but not before hearing the Professor say: "I almost forgot, do you have a Pokemon?"

The girl slowly turned back to the professor and answered "Yes, I do. It's a Ralts."

"Would you mind releasing it from its Pokeball? I would like to observe its health to see if it's capable enough to go outside."

"Of course, sir," Henrietta released the Ralts from his Pokeball.

"Thank you dear. The examination would only take a few moments – what is its name by the way?"

"A name?"

"A name, like yours and mines, to differentiate it from other Ralts."

Henrietta thought about this for a bit and finally decided on what name to give him. She looked at the Ralts before saying her answer.

"Charles, his name is Charles."

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><p>The whole fuss was wrapped up nicely. Despite the photographer's protests, Henrietta refused to smile. The papers were signed without any fuss (her parents came in sometime when Henrietta was in the professor's office) and Charles was completely healthy.<p>

The family went back to Canalave City in peace. The whole process took longer than expected and they were exhausted. It was around 6:00 in the afternoon when they went home. Henrietta's mom was preparing soup for dinner and her dad was preparing to leave for work.

Her dad kissed his daughter on the forehead and his wife on the lips before "Bye guys, I'll see you in the morning!"

By 10:00, the day was done and the remaining occupants went to sleep – with the exception of Henrietta. Instead, she opened her room's door and felt the cool nigh breeze. The moon was a white circle amongst the black sky.

She clutched Charles's Pokeball in her hand. Tomorrow at the break of dawn, Henrietta and he will be embarking on a new chapter in their lives. Whether it will be a good or bad one, the duo will just have to wait and see.

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><p><strong>So, how was it? I don't think it was that bad for my first story. I've never written a story for the Pokemon world and I haven't read any others so this thing is based on my own thoughts. Tell me if it's your typical "OC becomes a trainer" story in the reviews. <strong>

**Thank you and look forward to the next chapter! **


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